Family Crisis

"How dare you?! The audacity!" She raged as Uncle Pete pulled her away from me. "Let go of me, Pete. Let me teach this gold digger a lesson!"

"Don't touch her, Martha. What is wrong with you?! How could you hit a pregnant girl?" Uncle Pete was not at all happy with how she'd behaved.

Me, on the other hand, could only cry and hold my cheeks. The events of the past two days bore down heavily on me and had me wailing like a baby before everyone.

"Stop that crocodile tears of yours and get out of this house!" Jared's mother, Martha bellowed angrily. "You gold digger! You think I don't know your type. You're out to ruin my son. To ruin his reputation. You want to marry into money, is that it?! I'll teach you never to try to humiliate my son! Do you know who the Johnson family is, you stupid whore?!"

"Enough, Martha! Enough!" Uncle Pete was angry and yelled at her.

I sank back into the chair in pain and despair. When I raised my head to meet Jared's gaze, he was quiet. 

I could not decipher his emotions at that point. It was as though I was looking at a blank wall. "Why don't you save me and you this problem, Jared? Let's go settle things with my husband, I beg of you. I don't want your money. I don't need anything from you, please."

I even went down on my knees to plead with him. 

He snarled. "Do not drag me into your problems anymore! You have caused me a great deal of trouble as it it." 

I fell back and sat my butt on the cold marbled floor and cradled my face between my palms, tears streamed down endlessly. 

Where would I go from here? I had no money and Christian was not ready to listen to me. 

Maybe I should have agreed to removing this child. But then again, I could not. My conscience would not let me do it. This was a life. 

A precious, growing life.

I'd be haunted day and night if I got rid of this pregnancy. 

"Now let's all take a seat and think of a way out. Physically hurting or emotionally draining ourselves will not help this case." Uncle Pete sought for peace.

He came to where I was and helped me to my feet. "Hailey stop crying. We'll definitely find a solution to this."

"I just want to go home and leave this place. It's obvious I'm not welcomed. I don't even want to be here!" I refuted, suddenly overwhelmed by anger, I even tried to fight him off of me.

But he held onto me strong, comforting me. "I understand the pains you're going through right now but the deed had been done. Like I said, a way forward is what is expected of us at this point, Hailey."

I felt a sharp pain around my waist, I let out a small cry and held my waist.

"What is it?" He asked, looking genuinely concerned.

"I am disappointed by what's going on here, Pete. What are you doing?" Martha continued her rage. 

"I am trying to calm a young girl who is as much as a victim as Jared is. What is wrong with you Martha? I thought you are a woman and a mother."

"Exactly, Pete." She retorted. "I am a mother. One that is willing to fight to death any whore that tries to ruin my son's life."

"And she?" Uncle Pete pointed at me, obviously disappointed by her words. "Wasn't she birthed by a mother too?"

"Then tell her mother to fight for her. I doubt if she was even raised by a mother at all." She venomously spat.

"Stop it!" I cried angrily. "Do not insult the memory of my mother! She deserves better."

"No, she deserves whatever came to her. That's her price for raising you wrongly." She spat back, looking mean.

Blinded by anger, I jumped from the sofa uncle Pete had me on and lunged at her, yelling and crying at the same time.

But uncle Pete held me back.

"Maybe you're the mother who doesn't know how to raise a child. If you raised him to be responsible, he won't be going about drugging married women on their birthdays and taking advantage of them!" I quipped, ready for whatever that was to come.

I could take anything but no one dared to insult my mother. I would not take it.

"Hey, watch your mouth!" Jared stepped in. "That's my mother!"

"You have acted deaf, blind and dumb since she came in here and hit me for no reason and insulted my mother as well, please continue to act that way. Don't interfere now!" My eyes flashed angrily. 

I knew I looked and sounded like a mad woman but I didn't care. I was already messed and what could happen that wasn't already happening?

"This is the girl you are fighting for, Pete. See how she insults me and my son." Martha raged. 

"You should not have insulted her mother, Martha. That was a low blow. Insulting a dead woman who has done nothing wrong to you."

"Is that all you have to say, Pete? Is that all?!" She ranted.

Uncle Pete seemed exhausted himself. I felt pity for him and decided to calm down. I should not make things worse for him. 

My mother had always taught me to respect the elderly and no matter how bad they were, rather than banter words with them, I should walk away. 

"Uncle Pete, I'm sorry." I apologized, willing myself to calm down. 

Keeping my anger in check. 

He looked at me and smiled. I could see the respect swim to the surface in his eyes. My apology had sprouted his respect for me.

"It's okay. Let's all have a seat and talk this out like adults that we are. No more fighting or throwing curses around." As he spoke, his eyes roamed our faces.

I took a seat at the edge of the sofa, not wanting to be anywhere close to Martha, her evil glares or sharp nails. 

"Jared, we talked about this in your office yesterday and I brought about a proposal." Uncle Pete directed to Jared.

"What proposal?" Martha cut in.

I also wanted to know. 

"You can not be serious, uncle Pete. I can not marry her."

"Who is marrying who?"